Just a thought...

I'm wondering if all the dope smoking that went on in the 60's and 70's may have contributed to the great number of early onset Alz patients that we are seeing now?

What are your thoughts?

Medicinal marijuana has been found to be more effective in treating Alzheimer's than all the current medications. Google "alzheimer's marijuana" or something like that to learn more. I don't smoke it, but eat various preparations. It's the only thing that helps my sleep, my muscle spasms, my painful neuropathy. And, it calms my occasional anxiety about this disease.

LOL !!! Sorry but the thought of my sweet Mamaw smoking dope has me in stiches.

She was a devout Southern Baptist...never smoked or had a drop of alcohol her whole life. She most certainly did not smoke pot !

She is 77 years old and stage 7 AD. So what does that tell you?
Peace,
Dani

Dani, I'm bad at picking up nuance from others, so I don't know what you're saying. As for medicinal use of marijuana, you're either open to facts or you're not. God gave us all plants for our benefit, and this Alzheimer's sufferer overcame his ignorance after a really bad reaction to one med, and further research unveiled that the Alzheimer's meds only work on 1/2 the people. And any benefit you get now, you collapse that much faster at a later time. I don't think that's funny, I think it's an exploitation of people's hope.

Alan, the reason Alzheimer's meds only works on 1/2 the people is because only half of them or possibly less have true Alzheiemr's disease. There are many, many other types of dementia out there. In my case Frontal Lobe Dementia, PPA, VaD, Wiernke's Korsoff, Picks and this is just name a few.

Dan wasn't really trying to be funny, he was basically saying that marijuania is defintely NOT the cause of dememntia especially in his Mothers case as she has never touched a weed in her life.

At this point even with all of the research going on, HOPE is all that we have.

Alan Dearest....You have misunderstood me terribly !
I am so pro marijuanna. I wish that we would declassify this herbal substance and research it's many, many medicidal and psychotropic uses.

I was laughing at Marijuanna causing AD. But really, I just was lauging at the mental picture of my Sweetest, Innocent Mamaw taking a bong hit with a bunch of tie-died hippies.

Sorry again Alan. I think that you are awesome. Smoke on...or rather eat away. Also for the record I am for anything that helps anyone with any of their AD symptoms including anxiety and depression.

Peace,
Dani

Alan,
We all do what we need to do to get thru each day! Believe me, no one here is knocking you for what works for you. We are all different. What works for one sometimes doesn't work for another. And as Tracy said, there are MANY forms of dementia. I going to check out this medical mj! Thanks for the info.

Peace and Hope,

What a nurturing group of people!! Thanks guys. I know I'm misunderstanding lots of things, 'cause increasingly people are reacting poorly to me & I don't understand why. Please know that I'm not condoning illegal drug use! For me, it's legal, and that's the only way I'd do it. It's been difficult for me to get past government propaganda, and on the other extreme the stoner crowd, and to just learn what's really available. The carefully cultivated marijuana I use, bred many generations for specific medicinal effect, is not to be confused with street weed. There's tons of web pages on it, if you're curious.

Alan,
We're all here for you! Relax, be yourself and enjoy all the hugs!!!
Did you say it helps your muscle spasms? I am taking medication to control my muscle spasms. Do you suffer from myoclonus too?

Peace and Hope,

Lisa, yes, it helps. The reason I considered alternative medicine was my spasms keeping me from getting enough sleep most nights. I take some tincture in my tea about an hour before bedtime, and the spasms are quiet enough that they rarely wake me up.
So far, I'm finding that marijuana is like opiods, in that if you take it for a serious symptom, you don't get the high. It's probably dose related too.
I've been a helping professional till recently, and like the stereotype, I'm not good at accepting it for myself. I resent my dementia, and the changes it's bringing to my life, and I don't do well with those dark feelings, either.

Dearest Alan.....yes we are a nuturing loving group here. Sorry you had to find us in this way but welcome.
Injesting Marijuanna will not usually get you "high". That is why the prefered method is smoking. It goes to your bloodstream right away in that form.
Happy that you have found some relief from your symptoms.
Ad/Dementia sucks...anything that you can dop to make it better more power to you.
I will pray for you today.
Peace,
Dani

Alan,
Is this medical marijuana ground up like a powder which allows you to put it in food and drink? And, where do you get it?

Please, let me know

Peace and Hope,

Lisa, I'm just starting to gather materials so I can grow my own. For now, I buy - legally! - through registered providers that follow the Colorado laws. I met them by going to a meeting that a particular group runs every other week. I love that it's all legal!! It's still against Federal law, but if we play strictly by the state rules, no harm will come.

Re: Powder, I think it's ground up super-fine. I buy products already made, e.g. tinctures, lotions, and the occasional batch of cookies. If Louisiana doesn't have a medical program, I'm at a loss as to suggestions.

I won't encourage illegal acts. I hope you can find a way, perhaps through a doctor and/or a research program, to try medical marijuana.

Alan,
Thanks for the info! I'm going to check it out!


Peace and Hope,

Jane: I can't answer the question as to whether any EOAD persons have had their conditions accelerated and/or exacerbated by smoking or injesting marijuana but can share that increases in childhood Leukemia correlate with increases in electrification. See: http://www.leukaemiaconference.org/programme/speakers/day3-milham.pdf

There is a scientific connection between Leukemia and Alzheimers. See "Technology Industry" post re use of Leukemia drug, Gleevec and Alzheimers' at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_18_164/ai_110737270

My appeal to Dr. Marilyn Albert offers considerable insight into the sort of immune problems, including Alzheimers, that I have documented re family members who have made dramatic improvement after reducing bed exposures to low level EMF/EMR exposures. Such simple actions as moving beds away from walls opposite electric meters, moving electric clocks off nightstands and more, has the potential of reducing at least some aspects of all health problems: http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3038870/

My website (access below sign-off) incoudes additional information re items to look for that are emitting constant electric fields while persons sleep.

Melatonin supplementation has been nothing short of a miracle in helping us deal with EOAD as well as my husband's severe memory loss and cognitive dysfunction caused by sleepiog close to a clock radio while taking statins (Lipitor) evry night for many years.

Bud and I take Coenzyme Q-10, selenium, magnesium, Omega 3 fish oil (3 of the 1,000 mg capsules...no fishy aftertaste), and more every day. Alpha lipoic acid has made the neuropathy in my feet go completely away. Could also be attributed to the many other vitamins and supplements but I know the Germans have used Alpha Lipoic Acid for over 30 years to prevent neuropathy.

The issue of cell phones being taken to beds by children as well as adults is emerging as a likely cause of autism-spectrum disorders as well as Alzheimers and many more health problems.

Cell phone chargers also should not be on nightstands or headboards.

I am preparing to distribute flyers in neighborhoods where homes have electrric and gas meters mounted on the outside of bedroom walls. I recently spoke to the mom of a four-year old boy with autism. I cried as she pointed to the two electric meters only one foot from the head of her boy's bed.....

EMF's are listed as "hazardous substances" (same as benzene) on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) website:
See: http://groups.google.com/group/mobilfunk_newsletter/browse_thread/thread/b2d59e7cace3b02d/2c245ae514a2aa48?lnk=raot

There is a lot of controversy re whether magnetic fields cause the adverse cellular changes or whether it is the electric fields. In my work as an investigator, I use a gaussmeter as an investigative tool to uncover unsuspected sources of EMF's such as waterpipes with currents, bad wires, etc. Scientists now lean toward the electric fields as being the harmful exposure. In other words, do not rely upon being safe when moving an electrical item far enough away from a bed to get a low magnetic field. There are other factors involved including RF (radiofrequency radiation).

I suspect any benefits from using marijuana might also be increased by practicing "prudent avoidance" of nighttime EMF exposures. There are major concerns re synergystic chemical reactions re all substances. In our home only 50 ft. from two high voltage powerlines, Bud worsens when I give him B-6, B-12 or B-complex. Recently I also stopped his Lecithin because he worsened after he was on it a short time. Cholesterol is protective of brin cells.

Take care - Joanne

Joanne, I love your ideas! I've found that life is far more complicated than most people want to know. I've wondered about EM radiation at below measurable levels having long-term effects on our bodies.

The similar thread I see between medical marijuana and EM concerns? The Golden Rule, i.e., he who has the gold makes the rules. There are billions at stake in traditional pharmaceuticals, and even more in the power industry. Very few bat an eye that taking prescription medicine as prescribed kills over 100,000 a year in this country - no b.s., that's from JAMA - it's amazing what people will tolerate

Keep the faith, keep spreading awareness!

Alan: Thanks for your encouragement. You have a very good understanding re the "status quo!"

Your comment re the large numbers of deaths due to prescribed medications is accurate (although I don't even attempt to keep track of the actual statistics -- never liked math ...smiles).

One medication after another is getting tagged by the FDA, "black-boxed," or even being taken off the market.

The situation re the psychoactive drugs I liken to Goering's experiments. I am reviewing an interview right now wherein the doctor being interviewed actually used the word, "experiment" and the journalist (to his or her credit) responded, "experiment???"

Reading through the posts on the Caregivers' portion of this forum (the more active threads), often gives me shivers down my spine and sometimes even makes me feel nauseated.

I want so badly to scream -- to somehow let persons know about the benefits of melatonin. I came across a 43-page study re melatonin and Alzehimers yesterday. Out of the 343 references (studies), there was one in particular that I read just the title of to Bud. I could not even finish reading that title without breaking down in tears.

Marijuana is something I haven't considered using for Bud "yet" -- I know Marinol is available as prescription in Minnesota for cancer patients but don't know much more except a story re someone I knew......

I took a puff once but didn't inhale. Wasn't for "medicinal purposes." Never have been a smoker. Doesn't get me any publicity either (ha ha ha...)

As indicated in my other post, I don't have any "real experience" and only limited research re marijuana but have to believe based on research re herbs, etc. and reports of many persons who have used marijuna, that it is very important for facts to be shared re its' benefits.

As you know, there is way too much vitally important information being kept from the public in order to protect "Big Pharma." If the people can figure out how to take care of a major number of problems without consuming the extremely toxic "FDA-approved medications" (note there are almost always 2-3 pages of adverse effects that include death), "Big Pharma" would not have the funds to pay the medical professional incentives nor the money with which assures receiving help from lobbyists, etc.

We are "fighting back" .... I, for one, will keep challenging even politicians although most responses are what I call "non-responses."

Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman will help make arrangements for me to testify before Congress IF I find others who will tell their own stories about improvement after moving electric appliances and telephone equipment. This is disgustingly "ludicrous!" There has been testimony from others without the 100% proof (almost an impossibility in science) that we can provide re dangers of electric fields from electric meters, other appliances and telephone equipment. The "science is there" -- the facts are being suppressed.

They have the public "brainwashed" into thinking "privacy at all costs" -- this assures that Big Pharma, industries and government will remain in their comfort zones for a very long time. YouTube, MySpace and forums such as this are starting to help "chip away...."

Take care - Joanne